Association between days to complete inpatient discharge summaries with all-payer hospital readmissions in Maryland

Retrospective analysis of nearly 88,000 hospital discharges at an urban Maryland academic hospital revealed that longer time to discharge summary completion was associated with an increase in 30-day, all-cause readmissions. More specifically, for every three days beyond day of discharge taken to complete the summary, the rate of readmission increased by one percent.

Abstract is free. An NEJM Journal Watch Summary, including a practice implications comment, can be found here.